The present invention relates to devices and apparatus for docking dough, and, more particularly, to an apparatus that is manually pressed into and docks an uncooked pizza dough.
In baking, uncooked dough often undergoes a “docking” process, where the uncooked dough is perforated or pierced to create dimples or divots that allow steam to escape, preventing large bubbles or blisters from forming during baking. Not only are such large bubbles or blisters unsightly, but they also are susceptible to burning during baking. Thus, docking the dough significantly helps control the formation of blisters or bubbles, such that rather than having large blisters or bubbles on the surface of the dough, a thoroughly docked dough will have only smaller, more controlled blisters or bubbles.
In baking a pizza, the issue of such large bubbles or blisters has been long recognized, and in order to provide a pizza with a consistent appearance and quality, an uncooked pizza dough is often subject to some form of docking. Accordingly, various devices and apparatus have been developed for docking, from a simple fork to “bubble poppers” and “dough dockers.” For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,093 (Rensky) describes various known docking devices for an uncooked pizza dough, including a rolling docking device and a perforating tool. However, such prior art devices and tools often have a tendency to tear the uncooked dough, especially when used with smaller diameter doughs (i.e., less than six inches). Furthermore, such prior art devices may be time-consuming and/or lead to inconsistent results. Thus, there remains a need for an apparatus for docking dough that minimizes any unwanted “damage” to the dough, reduces docking time, and substantially eliminates docking mistakes.